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WIPP Worker Lawsuit

Despite what WIPP has said one man claims he was injured in a workplace fire. Now he's suing.

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Updated: 11:02 PM MDT Aug 14, 2014

WIPP Worker Lawsuit

Despite what WIPP has said one man claims he was injured in a workplace fire. Now he's suing.

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Updated: 11:02 PM MDT Aug 14, 2014

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WEBVTT NOW HE'S SUING. THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT IS LOCATED JUST OUTSIDE OF CARLSBAD. ON FEBRUARY 5TH, A SALT TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE INSIDE THE MINE. 85 WORKERS WERE EVACUATED. OFFICIALS SAY NOONE WAS BADLY HURT -- BUT ONE WORKER DISPUTES THAT. MEGAN CRUZ TELLS US WHY, IN A STORY YOU'LL SEE ONLY ON 7. My full name is william richard utter. STRAINED SPEECH ... REPEATED, AGONIZING COUGHING... WILLIAM UTTER SAYS IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF A FIRE AT HIS WORKPLACE EARLIER THIS YEAR. When i'm coughing, it gets so hard that my head hurts, my brain is just pounding. UTTER HAS HANDLED NUCLEAR WASTE FOR 8 YEARS, AT THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT NEAR CARLSBAD. HE WAS UNDERGROUND WHEN A SALT TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE INSIDE THE MINE ON FEBRUARY 5TH. WIPP OFFICIALS CONFIRM UTTER WAS ONE OF 6 WORKERS SENT TO THE HOSPITAL THAT DAY FOR SMOKE INHALATION. SINCE THEN, HE SAYS HE'S HAD A PERSISTENT COUGH. AND THAT'S WHY HE'S SUING HIS EMPLOYERS. UTTER'S LAWYER GAVE US THIS VIDEO FROM JUNE. UTTER TELLS A DOCTOR HOW HIS LIFE, AND HIS FAMILY'S LIVES, HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE FIRE. We try going to the movies, because we used to go to the movies a lot too, and since I cough so much I can't be in there. HE TELLS THE DOCTOR HE CAN BARELY SLEEP... About 2 and a half, 3 hours if i'm lucky. AND SAYS HIS WIFE AND SON ARE CONSTANTLY ON EDGE. They're worried all the time, when I cough or throw up or whatever. UTTER'S LAWYER SAYS HIS CLIENT'S ILLNESS... IS THE REAL DEAL. The doctors so far that have seen him, which include doctors here at UNMH, specialists in Denver have all confirmed that his condition as they see it today is a result of a fire. I REACHED OUT TO OFFICIALS AT WIPP. I WAS TOLD THEY NEVER COMMENT ON PENDING LITIGATION. UTTER'S LAWYER SAYS AS FAR AS HE KNOWS, THIS IS THE ONLY PERSONAL INJURY LAWSUIT TO COME OUT OF FEBRUARY'S FIRE. BACK TO YOU. TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT FIRE, THERE WAS A RADIATION LEAK AT THE PLANT. 22 WORKERS TESTED POSITIVE FOR RADIATION CONTAMINATION, BUT OFFICIALS SAY IT SHOULDN'T CAUSE ANY LONG-TERM HEALTH PROBLEMS.

WIPP Worker Lawsuit

Despite what WIPP has said one man claims he was injured in a workplace fire. Now he's suing.